Optimal outcomes from depression treatment are long-term recovery and, in the case of recurrent depression, prevention of new episodes. However, few data are available concerning the long-term ...efficacy of antidepressants in prophylactic treatment to prevent recurrences of depression. The efficacy and safety of fluoxetine 20 mg/day was evaluated in reducing the number of depressive episodes and in extending the time free of symptoms in patients with recurrent unipolar major depression. Patients with recurrent unipolar major depression according to DSM-III-R criteria and who responded to 32 weeks of open-label fluoxetine were randomly assigned to receive fluoxetine 20 mg/day (N = 70) or placebo (N = 70) for 48 weeks of double-blind maintenance treatment. Outcome measures were the percentage of recurrences and time to recurrence. Safety assessments included treatment-emergent adverse events, reasons for discontinuation, vital signs, and laboratory measures. Fluoxetine was associated with a statistically significantly smaller percentage of patients who had a recurrence compared with placebo (20% vs. 40%; chi2 analysis, p = 0.010). The symptom-free period was significantly longer for patients treated with fluoxetine versus placebo (295 vs. 192 days; Kaplan-Meier estimates, log-rank test, p = 0.002). Treatments were well tolerated during maintenance treatment. The only statistically significant difference in adverse events between treatment groups was anxiety, which was more frequent in the placebo group (fluoxetine, 12.9% vs. placebo, 30%; chi2 analysis, p = 0.013). Two placebo-treated patients and no fluoxetine-treated patients were withdrawn because of adverse events. In conclusion, fluoxetine at 20 mg/day was effective and well tolerated for the prophylactic treatment of recurrent unipolar major depression.
An specification language for fuzzy systems Moreno Velo, Francisco José; Barriga Barrios, Ángel; Baturone Castillo, María Inmaculada ...
2001, Volume:
8, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
This work presents the main features of XFL3, a language for fuzzy system
specification, which has been defined as the common description languaje for
the tools forming the Xfuzzy 3.0 development ...environment. Its main advantages
are its capability to admit user-defined membership functions, parametric
operators, and linguistic hedges. A brief summary of the tools included in
Xfuzzy 3.0 and an example illustrating the use of XFL3 are also included.
A set of maps is presented which make up the Climatic Atlas of Extremadura. They were
prepared for use as support in research into the natural resources and species of interest for
conservation. Two ...types of method were used: spline interpolation for the temperature and rainfall
variables, and computer simulation for the potential insolation. The Atlas was elaborated using the
tools available in two commercial geographical information systems. The result is a document with
14 maps in PDF format, each corresponding to a climatic variable.
Se presenta un conjunto de mapas que conforman el Atlas Climático de Extremadura,
elaborado para servir de apoyo a la investigación en recursos naturales y especies de interés para la
conservación. Partiendo de los datos termopluviométricos del Instituto Geográfico Nacional, los
métodos utilizados para la elaboración de los mapas han sido de dos tipos: interpolación mediante
splines para las variables termopluviométricas y simulación informática para las variables relativas
a la insolación potencial. Para realizar el Atlas se han utilizado las herramientas disponibles en dos
sistemas de información geográfica comerciales; el resultado es un documento con 14 mapas
correspondientes a otras tantas variables climátic as que puede consultarse en formato PDF. Este
conjunto de mapas podrá ampliarse en el futuro cuando los datos disponibles permitan obtener
información más precisa y con mayor resolución de otras variables de gran importancia: vientos,
evapotranspiración, aridez, etc.
Bibliografía Histórica Ricardo Córdoba de la Llave; Albrecht Graf Von Kalnein; Antón M. Pazos ...
Hispania,
12/2003, Volume:
63, Issue:
215
Journal Article
To assess the use and complications of transpyloric enteral nutrition (TEN) in the critically ill child we evaluated prospectively all children who received TEN in a pediatric intensive care unit ...(PICU) of a tertiary university hospital. The type of nutrition used, its duration, medication administered, tolerance, gastrointestinal complications (vomiting, abdominal distension or excessive gastric residue, diarrhea, and pulmonary aspiration), nongastrointestinal complications, and mortality were assessed. A comparative analysis was made between the first 2 years of the study and the remaining period. Over a period of 4.5 years, 152 patients between the ages of 3 days and 17 years received TEN for a duration of 19 ± 32.3 days (range 1–240 days). Forty‐one patients received TEN during the first 2 years; 100 patients received TEN in the postoperative period after cardiac surgery (66%). One hundred seventeen patients (77%) received sedation and 65 (43%) received muscle relaxants, presenting no extra complications. Twenty‐four patients (15.8%) presented with gastrointestinal complications: abdominal distension and/or excessive gastric residue in 17 and diarrhea in 11. Gastrointestinal intolerance was associated with pulmonary infection (p < 0.05), altered hepatic function (p < 0.001), and hypokalemia or hypocalcemia (p < 0.05). Diarrhea was more frequent in patients with shock (p < 0.05), altered hepatic function (p < 0.05), excessive gastric residue (p < 0.001), and hypokalemia or hypocalcemia (p < 0.05). In the second study period, the number of patients on TEN and the doses of sedatives, muscle relaxants, and vasoactives were higher (p < 0.05), with no increase in the incidence of complications. TEN is a useful method of nutrition with few complications in the critically ill child.
In this work, we report the isolation of a factor from the culture supernatant of confluent fibroblasts from human cervix with the diagnosis of uterine myomatosis. This factor possesses the capacity ...to inhibit the proliferation of normal fibroblasts. The proliferation inhibitor factor (PIF) was purified from the culture supernatant by precipitation with 80% ammonium sulfate, and by molecular sieve chromatography. Our results indicate that PIF is a protein of 23 kDa, which is highly sensitive to trypsin treatment, and is thermolabile, since temperatures equal to, or above, 60�C
eliminate the protein activity in 15 to 20 min.
The postoperative complications observed in a group of 27 patients with hematological diseases that underwent splenectomy are reported: 21 patients had a non-malignant hematological condition, ...whereas the rest had a hematological malignancy. Seven complications presented in 6 patients (two wound infections, two severe post-operative hemorrhages, one incisional hernia, one sepsis by capsulated bacteria and one fatal hemophagocytic syndrome). The overall complication rate was 27%, whereas the fatal complication rate was 3%. The complication rate in patients with malignant diseases was 83%, whereas that in benign conditions was 9%. The size of the spleen was related with the complication rate (median weight of patients with complications was 990 g versus 132 g in those without complications; p < 0.01). The two patients that underwent splenectomy before age six months had complications, in one case related to parental negligence. In splenectomies performed for hematological disease the benefits must be balanced carefully against the risks.
Polarizers are ubiquitous components in optoelectronic devices of daily use as displays, optical sensors or photographic cameras, among others. Yet the control over light polarization is an ...unresolved challenge as the main drawback of the current display technologies relays in significant optical losses. In such a context, organometal halide perovskites can play a decisive role given their flexible synthesis with under design optical properties . Therefore, along with their outstanding electrical properties have elevated hybrid perovskites as the material of choice in photovoltaics and optoelectronics. Among the different organometal halide perovskite nanostructures, nanowires and nanorods have lately arise as key players for the control of light polarization for lighting or detector applications. Herein, we will present the unprecedented fabrication of highly aligned and anisotropic methylammonium lead iodide (MAPI) perovskite nanowalls by Glancing Angle Deposition of PbI2 under high vacuum followed by CH3NH3I deposition at normal angle. Our approach offers a direct route for the fabrication of perovskite nanostructures virtually on any substrate, including on photovoltaic devices. The unparalleled alignment degree of the perovskite nanowalls provides the samples with strong anisotropic optical properties such as light absorption and photoluminescence, the latter with a maximum polarization ratio of P=0.43. Furthermore, the implementation of the MAPI nanowalls in photovoltaic devices provides them with a polarization-sensitive response, with a maximum photocurrent difference of 2.1 % when illuminating with the near-infrared range of the solar spectrum (>700 nm). Our facile vacuum-based approach embodies a milestone in the development of last generation polarization-sensitive perovskite-based optoelectronic devices such as lighting appliances or self-powered photodetectors.
The eventual exploitation of one-dimensional nanomaterials yet needs the development of scalable, high yield, homogeneous, and environmentally friendly methods able to meet the requirements for the ...fabrication of under design functional nanomaterials. In this article, we demonstrate a vacuum and plasma one-reactor approach for the synthesis of the fundamental common element in solar energy and optoelectronics, i.e. the transparent conducting electrode but in the form of nanotubes and nanotrees architectures. Although the process is generic and can be used for a variety of TCOs and wide-bandgap semiconductors, we focus herein on Indium Doped Tin Oxide (ITO) as the most extended in the previous applications. This protocol combines widely applied deposition techniques such as thermal evaporation for the formation of organic nanowires serving as 1D and 3D soft templates, deposition of polycrystalline layers by magnetron sputtering, and removal of the template by simply annealing under mild vacuum conditions. The process variables are tuned to control the stoichiometry, morphology, and alignment of the ITO nanotubes and nanotrees. Four-probe characterization reveals the improved lateral connectivity of the ITO nanotrees and applied on individual nanotubes shows resistivities as low as 3.5 +/- 0.9 x 10-4 {\Omega}.cm, a value comparable to single-crystalline counterparts. The assessment of diffuse reflectance and transmittance in the UV-VIS range confirms the viability of the supported ITO nanotubes as a random optical media working as strong scattering layers. Further ability to form ITO nanotrees opens the path for practical applications as ultra-broadband absorbers in the NIR. The demonstrated low resistivity and optical properties of these ITO nanostructures open the way for their use in LEDs, IR shield, energy harvesting, nanosensors, and photoelectrochemical applications
1. We have assessed the role of platelet-activating factor in caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (four subcutaneous injections of caerulein at a dose of 20 micrograms/kg) by measuring ...platelet-activating factor levels in portal blood, pancreatic tissue and peritoneal exudate in rats with and without pancreatitis. 2. We have also observed the effect of the platelet-activating factor antagonist, BN-52021, on the hyperamylasaemia and exocrine pancreatic secretion impairment associated with pancreatitis. 3. In rats with pancreatitis the basal pancreatic flow rate was increased (1.63 +/- 0.41 versus 0.25 +/- 0.03 microliters/min). Total protein output was similar in both untreated (5.98 +/- 1.93 micrograms/min) and caerulein-injected (6.5 +/- 2.0 micrograms/min) animals. Amylase output was lower in rats with pancreatitis (19.6 +/- 4.8 mu-units/min) than in controls (39.4 +/- 16.6 mu-units/min). 4. Caerulein-treated animals had significantly higher serum amylase levels than untreated animals. BN-52021 significantly reduced the caerulein-induced hyperamylasaemia. 5. Portal blood platelet-activating factor levels increased in rats with pancreatitis and in rats infused with cholecystokinin. Rats injected with caerulein and BN-52021 had portal blood levels of platelet-activating factor that were lower than those with pancreatitis. 6. Morphological derangements associated with pancreatitis (inflammatory infiltration and cell vacuolization) were also markedly reduced in BN-52021-treated animals. 7. The results of this study suggest that platelet-activating factor is involved in the development of caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.
